Odisha prepared to handle Covid-19 resurgence, says health minister

The Odisha government is prepared to tackle any situation if there is a resurgence of coronavirus in the state, state Health minister Naba Kishore Das said on Wednesday.

Talking to reporters about the preparedness of Odisha in view of Omicron sub-variant BF.7 creating havoc in certain countries, Das said he held a review meeting during the day on surveillance and testing.

If there is sudden resurgence of Covid, it is not about having Plan A or Plan B. We are already prepared under the able leadership of Naveen Patnaik Our government was earlier praised for its handling of the pandemic and for supplying Oxygen to different states.

We have instructed all Medical Colleges, including MKCG, VIMSAR and SCB Medical College, regarding readiness of 15 oxygen beds and 5 ICU beds, the minister said.

Mock drills were done in all district hospitals on Tuesday.

Many hospitals across the country held mock drills on Tuesday to check the readiness of health facilities in view of proper COVID-19 management.

The Centre had asked states and union territories to conduct the drill as part of precautionary measures following an increase in COVID-19 infections in China and other countries.

Das said, Our Commissioner-cum-Secretary has already written a letter to the Centre on the supply of vaccines. Today I will also write a letter to the Union Health Minister for fresh supply of vaccines to the state.

The Odisha government had on December 23 written a letter to the Centre seeking Covid vaccines to start inoculation drives again.

Family Welfare Director Bijay Panigrahi, who is also the nodal officer for immunisation, had said that there was no state-sponsored vaccination drive after November 28 in Odisha. However, inoculation is underway in private hospitals.

We have instructed the Odisha State Medicine Corporation Limited to facilitate the procurement of necessary drugs and equipment on priority. The Department has mooted special arrangements for health safety and prevention of the possible spread of Covid at the venues of the Hockey World Cup, Das said.

Odisha is hosting the prestigious sporting tournament for the second time in a row after 2018. The matches will be played at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium here and the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela from January 13-29.

A special team of doctors will be sent to Rourkela from Veer Surendra Sai Medical College and Hospital to monitor and oversee the health aspect in and around the Hockey World Cup venue, Das said.

It came to the fore on December 21 that one case of BF.7, apparently the strain driving China's current surge of Covid cases, has been detected in Odisha.